Yarn feeding means for straight knitting machines



y 1932- R. E. SCHLETTER 1,859,411

YARN FEEDING MEANS FOR STRAIGHT KNITTING MACHINES I Filed Sept. 13. 192'? 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ililllill 35 INVENTOR.

'- ATTORNEY.

w W" Y e l I May 24, 1932.

R. E. VSCHFETTER YARN FEEDING MEANS FOR STRAIGHT KNITTING MACHINES Filed Sept. 13. 1927 2 Shets-Sheet z I N V EN TOR. B. E. fichleitef.

A TTORNE Y.

' Patented May 24, 1932 3101mm) E. SGHLETTER, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, assrenon r SCHILETTER & ZANDER, INC., OF WARE PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A. CORPORATION OF DELA- YARN FEEDING MEANS FOR STRAIGHT KNITTING MACHINES Application filed September 18, 1927. SeriatNa 219,240.

My said invention relates to yarn-feeding means for providing a variable travel for diflerent yarn-guides of a set such asthe guides used in a straight machine of the Got- '5 ton type, and will be described herein with special reference to the manufacture of a stocking having a top clock and a V-line high splice each of which is made by the use of splicing yarns, the yarns of the top clock diflering from those of the high-splice in quality or color. It will be understood that such specificdescription is merely for clarity of explanation and that my improvements can be used for many other purposes where yarnguides are to travel over paths of different length or where the movement of one guide is to begin or end at a different point from the beginning or ending of travel of another guide, etc.

It is an object of my invention to provide a set of stops adapted to cooperate with different yarn-guides for traversing them together or alternately, usually only for relatively short distances.

Another object is to provide means whereby only a single friction box may drive all the auxiliary yarn carriers, instead of the usual arrangement of a friction box for each carrier, thereby reducing considerably the power required for running the machine.

Referring to the drawings, which are made a part of this application and in which similar reference characters indicate similar parts: I

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a variable means for determining the end positions of the carrier-rods for yarn-guides in a straight knitting machine, I

Fig. 2, a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3, a detail in section of parts shown in Fig. 2,

Fig. 4, a similar detail with parts in a different position, f

Fig. '5, a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 1

. Fig. 6, a section on line 6-6 of Fig.3,

Fig. 7, a developed view corresponding to the full line position ofFig'. 2, and indicating --an idle position of themechanism to which my invention relates,

Fig. 8, a like view showing one dog in operative position, and

Fig. 9, a like view showing the other dog in operative position, certain other parts beingalso in a different position.

In the drawings, reference characters 20 and 21 indicate respectively fixed rear and front guide rods on which the nuts or stops 22 and 23 are slidable, said nuts having threaded engagement with a reverselythreaded screw 24 which may be operated by means such as disclosed in my application 66,916, November 5, 1925, now Patent No.

1,713,628, May21, 1929, or by any other suitable means. A rod 25 is slidably supported by the nuts, the rod being movable endwise with the yarn guide carrier bars to a distance determined by the positions of the nuts, and the'carrier-bars being moved by the usual friction-box connection from the coulier shaft (not shown).

In conventional machines of the Cotton type there is a reciprocatory bar movable parallel to the yarn-guide carrier-bars and friction-boxes are mounted at intervals upon this bar so as to move endwise therewith. (See Full-fashioned knitting machines, published 1920 by Textile Machine Works, Reading, Penna, Figs. 22 and 42). Each friction-box carries a pivoted or slidable arm such as shown at 49, 50, 51 in Landenberger Patent No. 1,134,749 or at 33 in Gu'enther Patent No. 878,724, whereby the yarn-guide carrier rods may be selectively connected to the reciprocatory friction-box bar by moving such arms into position to engage suitable abutments on the carrier bars, as shown at 34 in Guenther supra, and at 40a, 41a and 42a in Landenberger supra. The abutments referred to are now commonly attached to the carrier-bars by rivets or screws, and an abutment or a pair of opposed abutments can be located at any desired point on its carrier rod for engagement by the arm of an ad jacent friction-box. As the friction-box bar reciprocates with the slur-cocks it carries with it suchyarn-guide carrier bars as are connected to it by operatively positioned arms, until the carrier bars strike-the end stops at the sides of the machine, whereupon 65 is down and the driven carrier bars stop but the frictionbox continues -to the end of its stroke. The friction-box bar, the yarn-guide carrier rods and the intermediate parts are all old and well-known and are therefore not shown in the drawings. Carrier rods a, b and 9, here- 3 inafter described, may be driven by such means as above described or by other suitable means, but since I use a plurality of carrier bars for putting ornamental yarns into the fabric (in the present case bars a, d, e and f being so used) and since it is often desirable to use more than one of such carrier bars simultaneously, itis desirable to provide means whereby a pluralit of carrier bars and their yarn guides may so tied to ether as to be driven from a single frictionox to reduce the power necessary for moving the friction-box bar and such means will now be described.

The rod has fixed-thereto by means of a screw 26 (Figs. 3 and 4) a dog 27 and the rod and dog may be rocked to move the dog into and out of operative relation with abutments in the form of pairs of screws 28-29 (Figs. 7 to 9) on each of'two yarn-carrier bars 6, f, here shown as the fifth and sixth fromthe rear of the usual set which may consist of a first bar a for the heel yarn, a second bar I) for the main yarn, third to sixth bars a, d, e, f, for splicing yarns, and seventh bar g for acotton yarn such as may be used in the welt at the top of the stocking, all of which may be as in machines of the well 35 known Cottontype, in which the longitudinal movement of the bars is limited by end stops which are usually movable by a narrowing mechanism for varying the width of the fabric. Fi 4 and 8 show the dog 27 in operative position.

A spring pressed detent 30 (Fig. 5) on one of the nuts 23 is forced by'a spring 31 into engagement with either one of notches 32, 33 in the rod 25. The dog 27 being fixed to this 4 rod is thus held in adjusted position in or out of engagement with screws 28, 29.

At either side ofthe dog 27 there is a dog 34. These dogs'34 are formed as a oke connected by cross-bars 35, so that they must swing simultaneously into and out of op erative position. It will be obvious that when they are swung down as in Fi 9 and in the dotted line position of Fig. 3, t ey will engage between screws such as 28' and 29,

5 on carrier-bar sand (1 and will thus be moved immediately if a driving movement in either direction be imparted to either bar 0 or d by its friction-box connection in either direction longitudinally of said bars. The movement of that bar which is driven by the friction-box will cease when an outer face of yoke 34 strikes the adjacent nut 22 or 23, the other parts driven by such bar naturall stopping at the same tlme. When dog 2 united dogs 34 are up as in Fig.

8, bars e or f will move the dog lengthwise of the machine but will stop as one or the other of united dogs 34 strikes its respective -stop 22, 23. When both dogs 27 and 34 are up out of the way i. e., in inoperative posi-- tion as in Fig. 2, (full line position) and Fig. 7, all four bars 0, d, e and f can stand still or any one or all of them can be moved as desired, e. g., to the full extent of movement of the main carrier bar b, by connecting them separatel to the usual friction boxes. Finally if- 0th dogs 27 and 34 are lowered all four bars will be movedto the extent permitted by the nuts 22 and 23, though only one bar need be connected to a friction-b0 It will be seen that if any of the bars 0, d e, f are to stand still, the corresponding dogs should be elevated, and in such an arrangement as illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 if onl one bar of a-set c, d or e, f is to be operate the corresponding dog must be elevated.

By appropriately locating the yarn-guides on bars a, d, e and f the yarn-guides on bars 0 and fcould make, for example, tapered areas above the high-splice, as in Design Patent 70,307, and the guides on bars 0 and d could servefor makin two ta-. pered spliced areas at the top of t e stocking as in Design Patent 65,934, which areas taper in the opposite sense to those first named. It will be understood that when but two such areas are to be made either the dog 27 or the dog 34 will be raised into inoperative position. For making a design with four tapering areas, as for example in Design Patent 64,567, both dogs are operatively engaged with the abutment screws 28, '28, 29, 29 on the carrier rods. 3 The designs can, of course, taper in either direction either regularly or two spaced at intervals separated by straight-sided areas,

all as determined by the pattern mechanism of the machine. By removing the opposed screws on one yarn-guide carrier bar three bars could be left in action to makethree stripes, diamonds or other reinforced or ornamental areas Disabling three guide-bars would leave one guide to fulfill its function and many other variations will occur to those skilled in the art. I

The dog 27 has overhanging flanges at 38 sliding on shoulders 38 (Figs. 6 and 8). and the yoke 34 is held in adjustedposition by spring detents 39 on dog 27 en aging re- 34. Hardene plu 41 cesses 40 in yoke may be inserted in the'working faces 0 any they are engaged byor all the dogs where screws 28, 29, 28, 29 if desired. It will be evident that the tw 4 dogs 34 are in effect, one dog with one operative face spaced leftward from dog 27 and the other spaced to the right, the form illustrated being preferred for the reason that it makes a solid and dura- V ble construction. T It will be readily understood thatthe guides on the carrier rods can be set so as to cause the reinforcement to appear at the selvage or at any distancetherefrom, e. g., one spliced area may be close to the edge of the fabric as for a high splice and the other at a distance, as for a top clock. Whilethe dogs are shown with one pair 34 straddling a single dog 27 it.

will be clear also that in efiect each dog 34 is laterally off-set from dog 27 and might be separggte from the other dogs or further away, or one dog 27 and one dog 34 can be used in some cases instead of having two dogs 34,

' since only the two outer faces of the spaced described in the specification but only as indicated in the appended claims.

. Having thus fully described my said invention. what I claim as new and desire to mounted in said dogs,

secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a straight knitting machine, a set of yarn-guide carrier bars, a reversely-threaded screw, threaded stops on the screw, a rod supported by the stops for movement in the direction of its length, a dog on the rod mov- Y able into position for engagement by one or more carrier bars of said -set,-and a second dog on said rod straddling the first and movable into engagement with other bars of theset." I

2. In a straight knitting machine, a set of yarn guide carrier bars, stops for limiting themovement of said bars, a; rod slidably and having its movement limited. by said stops, and a plurality of stopson said rod ada ted to engage carrier rods of said set at di erent'points'in their length. g I

3 In a straight knitting machine, a set of reclprocatory yarn-guide carrier bars, a rod having reciprocatory movement parallel to said carrier bars, a dog on the rod movable into and out of engagement with a carrier bar of the set, ineans to prevent independent movement of the dog lengthwise of the rod, and stops for engagement with the dog to arrest the dog and the rod and a carrier bar engaged by the do 4. In a straight knitting machine, a set of out of engagement with a carrier bar of the.

set, andcommon means for moving said stops toward and from each other.

6o reciprocatory yarn-guide carrier'bars, a'rod' to said carrier bars, sald rod, said dog 5. In a straight knitting machine, a set of reciprocatory yarn-guide carrier bars, a rod having reciprocatory movement parallel to said carrier bars, a dog on the rod movable into and out of engagement with a earner bar of the set, and a'second dog on said rod movable into and out of engagement with a carrier bar of the set, and stops limiting the movement of the rod and the carrier bars connected thereto by said dogs to a distance less than the width of the fabric being knitted.

6. In a straight knitting machine, a set of reciprocatory yarn-guide carrier bars, dogs movable into and out of engagement with said bars for reciprocatory movement therewith. andstops for engaging the dogs to' arrest their travel thereby limiting the movement of the bars engaged thereby.

7. In'a straight knitting machine, a set of reciprocatory yarn-guide carrier bars, dogs movable into and out of engagement with said bars for reciprocatory movement therewith, stops adapted to engage the dogs for limiting the travel of the, dogs, and a .reversely threaded screw engaging the stops for varying the stroke ofthe carrier bars.

8. In a straight knitting machine, a set of reciprocatory yarn-guide carrier bars, a rod having reciprocatory movement parallel to said carrier bars, astop forlimiting the moveent of the rod in one direction,- a dog fixed to said rod, and means 'on the stop for holding the dog in position to engage a carrier bar or out of such position.

9. In a hosiery knitting machine, a yarnguide carrier bar, a pair of stops for limiting the stroke of said bar to a distance less than the full width of the fabric being knitted, a

rod-like element having means to move said stops toward and from each other longitudinally of said element and to hold said stops at various distances from each other, an abutment on said yarn-carrierbar, a dog pivotally connected to a stop for movement into and out of operative position with reference to said abutment, the linear movement of the dog with the yarn-guide carrier bar being limited by said stops, and means to hold the do in eithe operative inoperative posi' 1 16 tion.-

10. In a straight knitting machine, a set of reciprocatory yarn-guide carrier bars. a rod having reciprocatory movement parallel to said carrier bars, a dog on said rod adapted to be positioned transversely ofa plurality of carrier bars, pairs of abutments on said carrier bars spaced to engage oppositesides of the dog, and means for holding the dog either in or out of operative relation with said abutmentsj 11. In a-straight knitting machine, a set of reciprocatory yarn-guide carrier bars, a rod having reciprocatory movement parallela dog reciprocating with being movable into idle spaced abutments position or into an operating position in which it extends across a plurality of carrier bars and closely adjacent to said bars, pairs of abutments onsaid carrier bars, the abutments of a pair being arranged to engage opposite sides of a dog whereby one or more bars may be .operatively connected to the samedog, and means for holding the dog inv either idle or operative position. v

12. In a knitting machine, a set of reciprocating yarn-guide carrier bars each having thereon, a rod movable parallel to said carrier bars, a dog fixed to move endwise with said rod said dog being adapted to' engage between abutments on a carrier bar so as .to move therewith, and

stops whereby the movement of the dog may be limited to a distance less than the width of the forming fabric.

13. In a knitting machine, a set of reciprocating yarn-guide carrier bars some of which have closely spaced abutments thereon while others have more widely spaced abutments, a rod movable parallel to said carrier bars, means fixed to reciprocate with said rod said means being adapted to engage between abutments on a carrier bar so as to move therewith, means also fixed to reciprocate with said rod and adapted to fit between the more widely spaced abutments on another carrier rod, and stops for limiting the movement of said means, whereby the movement of the engaged carrier bars is also limited.

14. In a knitting machine, a set of reciprocating yarn-guide carrier bars each having spaced abutments thereon, a rod movable parallel to said carrier bars, a do fixed to move endwise with said rod said dog being movable from an idle position into a position v overlying a-plurality of carrier bars whereby it can fit between a pair of abutments on each carrier bar provided with properly spaced abutments and whereby said .rod and dog are constrained to move with the carrier bars, and adjustable means for engaging said dog for variably limiting the stroke of the dog andthe rod and the carrier bars connected thereto.

1-5. In a straight knitting machine, a. set of reciprocating yarn-guide carrier bars, a dog pivoted for oscillation transversely of the direction of such reciprocation to engage a carrier bar and reciprocate therewith orto be disengaged from such carrier bar, another pivoted dog adjacent the first and movable into and out of engagementwith another carrier bar, and common means to limit the reci rocatory' movement of said dogs and the arsengaged thereby;

In testimon whereof I afiix my signature.

RI HARD E. SCHLETTER. 

